What does sustainability look like? This came up in a discussion this morning and made me ponder and think of my last few days - what have I seen that is sustainability?
Sometimes you can see sustainability - I'm sat in our holiday let with solar panels on the roof, an air source pump, and an EV charger. But often, it is unseen.
Recently I went to Scarborough....bear with me here! I never expected to write about sustainability and Scarborough...
Beyond the arcades and fun fairs, moored in the working harbour, is the Southern Star owned by SeaGrown - to most, this boat looks like a nice place to have lunch and a drink overlooking the harbour. I'd gone to Scarborough especially to visit as it is a fabulous story on seaweed farming in the North Sea. Below the public decks of the Souther Star are the seaweed hatcheries. The spoors are taken a few miles off the Yorkshire coast, where the seaweed matures and is used for food, agriculture, bioplastics, cosmetics, and even beer!
They are creating a new marine industry where fishing is in decline and providing jobs at sea and at the boat for the local community. They host events and have collaborated with local artists and experiences to connect people with the nature of the Yorkshire coastline.
Educating locals and tourists on how precious the environment is will help protect it for the future. And yes, I bought products to support them, and the beer was nice!
For more information on how to create a positive impact through tourism contact me at emily@justtourism.co.uk